NDLI: Rainfall and irrigation controls on groundwater rise and salinity risk in the Ord River Irrigation Area, northern Australia

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Smith, Anthony J.
Copyright Year	2008
Abstract	Groundwater beneath the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) in northern Australia has risen in elevation by 10–20 m during the past 40 years with attendant concerns about water logging and soil salinization. Persistent groundwater accession has been attributed to excessive irrigation and surface water leakage; however, analysis of daily water-table records from the past 10 years yielded a contrary result. On a seasonal basis, water-table elevation typically fell during irrigation (dry) seasons and rose during fallow (wet) seasons, conflicting with the conventional view that irrigation and not rainfall must be the dominant control on groundwater accession. Previous investigations of unexpectedly large infiltration losses through the cracking clay soils provide a plausible explanation for the apparent conundrum. Because rainfall is uncontrolled and occurs independently of the soil moisture condition, there is greater opportunity for incipient ponding and rapid infiltration through preferred flow pathways. In contrast, irrigation is scheduled when needed and applications are stopped after soil wetting is achieved. Contemporary groundwater management in the ORIA is focused on improving irrigation efficiency during dry seasons but additional opportunities may exist to improve groundwater conditions and salinity risk through giving equal attention to the wet-season water balance.La nappe sous l’Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) en Australie septentrionale a gagné de 10 à 20 mètres en altitude durant les 40 dernières années avec les soucis correspondants en ce qui concerne la saturation en eau et la salinisation du sol. L’augmentation continuelle de l’eau souterraine a été attribuée à une irrigation excessive et à l’infiltration d’eau de surface; toutefois, l’analyse des historiques journaliers des niveaux de nappe pour les dix dernières années ont donné un résultat contraire. En se basant sur les saisons la hauteur du niveau de la nappe est descendu pendant les saisons (sèches) d’irrigation et est monté pendant les saisons (humides) de jachère, en contradiction avec l’opinion conventionnelle que l’irrigation et non la pluie doit être l’influence prédominante de l’augmentation de l’eau souterraine. Des études antérieures de pertes par infiltration inattendues importantes à travers des sols argileux fendillés fournissent une explication plausible à l’énigme apparente. Parce que la pluie n’est pas contrôlée et se manifeste indépendamment de l’état d’humidité du sol il y a un risque accru d’un début de stagnation de l’eau et d’infiltration rapide par des cheminements préférentiels de l’écoulement. Par comparaison, l’irrigation est programmée lorsqu’elle est nécessaire et les épandages sont arrêtés lorsque l’humidification du sol est réalisée. La gestion actuelle de l’eau souterraine dans l’ORIA est centrée sur l’amélioration de l’efficacité de l’irrigation pendant les saisons sèches mais des occasions supplémentaires peuvent exister pour améliorer la situation de l’eau souterraine et le risque de salinisation en prêtant une égale attention au bilan d’eau en saison humide.El nivel del agua subterránea en el área de riego del río Ord (ARRO) en el norte de Australia ha aumentado entre 10 y 20 metros durante los últimos 40 años, con las consiguientes preocupaciones por la posibilidad de encharcamiento y salinización del suelo. El persistente aumento del nivel del agua subterránea ha sido atribuido al riego excesivo y a la infiltración de agua superficial; sin embargo, el análisis de los registros diarios del nivel de agua durante los últimos diez años presentó el resultado contrario. En un análisis de base estacional, el nivel de agua típicamente bajó durante la estación de riego (seca) y aumentó durante la estación del barbecho (húmeda). Esto contradice la opinión convencional que el riego -y no la precipitación- es el factor dominante en el ascenso del agua subterránea. Investigaciones previas sobre pérdidas inesperadamente grandes por infiltración a través de grietas en suelos de arcilla proporcionan una explicación plausible para esa aparente contradicción. Dado que la precipitación no es controlada y ocurre independientemente de la condición de la humedad del suelo, hay mayor oportunidad para el encharcamiento incipiente y la infiltración rápida con caminos preferenciales de flujo. En cambio, el riego es programado cuando falta agua en el suelo y se interrumpe después de que se alcanza el grado deseado de humedad. El manejo actual del agua subterránea en el ARRO se centra en mejorar la eficacia del riego durante la estación seca, pero puede ser posible mejorar la situación del agua subterránea y disminuir el riesgo de salinización con el manejo del agua también durante la estación húmeda.
Starting Page	1159
Ending Page	1175
Page Count	17
File Format	PDF
ISSN	14312174
Journal	Hydrogeology Journal
Volume Number	16
Issue Number	6
e-ISSN	14350157
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publisher Date	2008-04-29
Publisher Institution	International Association of Hydrogeologists
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Groundwater recharge/water budget Salinization Ord River Australia Hydrogeology Hydrology/Water Resources Geology Water Quality/Water Pollution Geophysics/Geodesy Waste Water Technology Water Pollution Control Water Management Aquatic Pollution
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Earth and Planetary Sciences Water Science and Technology

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